As part of a never-ending quest to be more efficient, United Airlines will begin testing an automated jet bridge that will allow passengers to load and exit from both ends of the plane.

The “over-the-wing” dual end jet bridge will be tested in Denver this year on United’s discount operation, Ted.

The jet bridge, developed by Ottawa-based DEW Engineering and Development Ltd., is a Y-shaped contraption that connects to the airport gate at one end, then branches out into two sections that connect to front and back doors of the airplane.

United expects it to cut boarding time in half and reduce the time it takes to “turn” a plane from arrival to departure by 10 minutes. If the program is successful, United hopes to expand it to other cities.

For passengers, it means the front part of the plane will board and exit from the front, the back part will board and exit from the back.

The jet bridge is automated, so customer service agents will no longer need to operate it with a joystick, and a ramp worker won’t need to help the pilot connect to it. Dual jetbridges are used by airlines, but these will be fully automated dual-end jetbridges.

At Denver International Airport, United will move its Ted gates from the A concourse to the B concourse. The first jet bridge will be operational in May, and all five will be in place by October.

The University of Colorado leadership is grappling with how to address a nationwide nosedive in the favorability of higher education — particularly, among conservatives — as CU’s own representatives and decision-makers disagree on what’s behind the downturn.